


Joanna's French Teacher

by Spacedancer



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Caring Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Daddy Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Happy Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a wonderful dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:21:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26892082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spacedancer/pseuds/Spacedancer
Summary: Once a month Leonard gets to talk to his daughter via subspace. Those are the days he lives for.Also, Joanna's French teacher is a real sweetheart.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 22
Collections: The Life and Adventures of Joanna McCoy





	Joanna's French Teacher

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Finnegancat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finnegancat/gifts).



> Happy birthday @finnegancat!  
> This is for you, hope you enjoy! ❤️

Leonard was walking out of sickbay with a huge smile on his face, a sight that attracted curious glances from all around. Some people openly stared, others quickly looked away again, but the doctor didn’t mind either way. In fact, he got a real kick out of confusing the hell out of everyone by being unashamedly happy and giving his crew mates a break from his default grumpy face once a month.

Because once every month, he got to talk to his darling daughter via subspace, and today was The Day. What’s more, there had been no last-minute emergencies or other catastrophes to keep him from this sacred routine, which was exceptional in itself. He couldn't even count the times he’d missed his little girl’s strictly scheduled subspace slot because of something or other. And God help the people unfortunate enough to cross the doctor’s path after such a missed call.

Today, however, was a good day. So far, everything had gone according to plan, and Leonard could barely wait to see his lovely daughter, who was a lot like him in many ways, except for the seemingly permanent beaming smile on her face, that never failed to brighten his – as well as most everybody else’s – day.

To everyone’s amazement, and Jim never missed a chance to point this out, Joanna was a real little sunshine. A trait she quite obviously hadn’t inherited from either of her parents, but which Leonard lovingly attributed to her Grandma McCoy’s genes. His mother was certainly the warmest, kindest woman in all of Georgia, and not even Jocelyn made a secret of how much their daughter enjoyed every visit to her grandma, happy to spend as much time with her as she could.

“Daddy, guess what?” Joanna burst out excitedly before the channel had even opened properly.

“And hello to you, too, sweetheart!” Leonard laughed, his heart brimming over at his daughter’s unbridled happiness. “I don’t think I can guess. You’ll have to tell me!”

“I wrote the best French test of everyone in my year!” she proudly announced, and the doctor couldn't have been more impressed, if she’d just won a Nobel prize.

“Did you now, honey,” he nodded his approval. "That's wonderful news! I’m so proud of you!”

“It wasn’t really that difficult,” Joanna went on, rolling her eyes a little, “but most of my class mates just don’t get the subjonctif, even though it’s completely easy and logical.”

“I’m sure it is for you,” Leonard smiled, “but not everybody is as bright as you are, sweat pea.”

“You always say that, Daddy,” the girl giggled, melting her father’s heart with the musical sound. "But I’m lucky, I have the nicest French teacher, too!”

“Is that so?” the doctor raised an interested eyebrow. “What’s her name again? Ms. Anita?”

“Oh, Daddy, you always get that wrong!” Joanna groaned, treating her father to another one of her trademark eyerolls. “That’s our Spanish teacher. And she’s weird.”

“Don’t say that, pumpkin,” Leonard gently chided. "You know I don’t like it when you speak disrespectful of people. Especially your teachers.”

“I know, Daddy. Sorry!” his daughter replied, looking at him contritely. “It’s just that she’s really a bit … scary. But Ms. Anne, my French teacher, is really, really nice. She’s my favourite teacher of all!”

“She must be really nice, then!” the doctor smiled. “I think I’d like to meet her someday!”

“I’d like that, too!” Joanna squealed, delighted at the thought. “She’s so much fun! She tells the most amazing stories, and she has this lovely cat she sometimes brings to class, and she starts every lesson with a really bad joke and says her cat invents them. Can you imagine?”

Leonard had to laugh at his daughter’s enthusiastic ramblings. This Ms. Anne really sounded like a wonderful teacher. He was glad his little girl enjoyed school so much.

“Maybe you can come home right before the summer holidays next year?” Joanna asked hopefully. “Then you could come to our family days at school and enter some of the father-daughter competitions with me!”

“I’d love to, sweetheart,” Leonard sighed, “but you know how it is. I can’t make any promises other than I’ll certainly try. But I promise we’ll have a lovely time during my next home leave, even if I can’t make it to the family days.”

“It’s ok, Daddy,” Joanna said mildly, the doctor’s heart melting at the understanding in his daughter’s voice, “I’m sure I can get Ms. Anne and her band to give us a private bagpipe concert whenever you come.”

“A what?” Leonard spluttered, not sure if he’d heard right.

“A bagpipe concert!” his daughter repeated, looking at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“But we’re talking about your French teacher here, right?” he asked again, just to make sure.

“Yes, Daddy,” Joanna confirmed, heaving an exasperated sigh. “But she’s good at everything! Just like you! You’re a doctor, and yet you make the best peach cobblers!”

“So I’ve been told,” Leonard laughed, feeling ridiculously pleased that his daughter thought so highly of him.

But of course, only someone who knew that peach cobblers were Joanna’s favourite food in the world could appreciate the high praise.

“Time’s almost up, sweetheart,” he said softly, always dreading that moment and hating how it seemed to dim the bright sparkle in Joanna’s eyes a little.

“Already?” she asked, frowning as she checked the chronometer on her screen.

“Afraid so,” Leonard sighed, “But we’ll talk again next month, pumpkin!”

“Can’t wait, Daddy!” the bright smile was on again.

Then Joanna’s face turned serious, and she briefly looked around, probably checking that her mother was out of earshot.

“I know that mom gives you a hard time when you miss our calls,” she whispered conspiratorially. “And I used to be really upset when I was little. But I’m a big girl now. I get that doctors sometimes can’t get away from treating people.”

Leonard had to swallow hard to find his voice again.

“I’m a grown up, and I still get upset when I miss one of our calls, sweat pea. But sometimes it can’t be helped. I’m very glad you’re old enough to understand that now. Just know that I’d never miss a call for anything less than a real emergency.”

“When I grow up I want to be a doctor just like you!” Joanna beamed. “I want to help people and make them well again, too! My friends are all so jealous that I have a dad who lives in space and helps all sorts of aliens get well again.”

“It’s certainly interesting and a big adventure,” Leonard smiled, trying not to give away what he really thought about living in space.

“Mom says it’s a stupid job and you can’t have a proper family. But you can! You have me and grandma, and I love you lots!”

“Love you more, sweetheart,” the doctor grinned, unable to keep his eyes from filling up any longer.

Joanna was so warm-hearted. So incredibly kind and loving. Basically, everything her mother was not. The girl really was the light of his life, and he was so proud of her. She made every pain Jocelyn had ever put him through worthwhile.

“Got to go now, pumpkin. And you need to go to bed. You’ve got school tomorrow,” Leonard told his daughter, then jokingly added, “Say hi to Ms. Anne from me, darling!”

“I will, Daddy! Did you know it’s her birthday tomorrow? She said she was going to bring a French cake. Some tarte, she called it.”

“That sounds awesome, sweat pea! Enjoy! Love you to the other side of the galaxy!”

“And I love you to the other side of the galaxy and back!” Joanna replied, giggling at their usual good-bye ritual, while Leonard made a face as if he couldn't believe so much love even existed.

“Sleep well, sweetheart! Talk to you again soon!”

“Merci! Bonne nuit!”

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:  
> Nothing of or associated with Star Trek is mine – it all belongs to Paramount / ViacomCBS (or whoever else is currently holding the rights). This is a work of fanfiction, no infringement intended.


End file.
